The Heartbreaking Note These Garbagemen Received Waving to the Same Kids Every Week

Their response was so touching.
- byInStyle

Aug
2017

For the past three years, Angie Evenson's three daughters have sat by the window every Thursday to wave at the garbage men who come by their house.

But in November of last year the two men, Brandon Olsen and Taylor Fritz, received a note from the family that broke their hearts.

3-year-old Rosie was diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer and her treatments were scheduled for Thursdays. The family wrote a note for the two men, which explained their situation and said they hadn't forgotten about them.

"Every Thursday, the garbage men watch for them in the window and grin and wave at them," Angie wrote on Facebook at the time. "Two weeks ago, they came up to our door with 3 bags of candy for the girls. In return, the following Thursday (last week), the girls colored pictures for them and we left two bags of snacks for them. I also included a note saying that we may not be here to wave some Thursdays, as Rose has chemo that day, but that we haven't forgotten them, so keep watching and we'll wave when we're here."

Then, the following day, a letter arrived for the Evenson family. The two men approached their boss at Hometown Sanitation and asked if they could offer the family free garbage pick-up for a year, sacrificing their own employee benefit to do so.

"Please accept our gift of free garbage service for you through the end of 2017," the note read. "We know that expenses will add up as you make trips for this needed treatment, and hope that not having this one bill to deal with helps, even if just a little. As parents ourselves, we can only imagine what this is like for you. We want to wish you the best of luck as you fight on and battle through. Best wishes for a successful treatment and recovery. Stay strong, fight hard, stick together."